On Labor Day, we take notice of two thin pieces of good news for Maine contained in a Census report released last week, and we worry about the bad news,From 2002 to 2004, household income increased slightly in Maine, and the state does well in providing insurance to its residents. But the good news comes […]

When Congress convenes this week, two things should take priority.Resources must be marshaled for the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast, without plugging millions of dollars in special-interest pork into the bill. Furthermore, past legislation that will make it more difficult for people to recover should be reconsidered.Lobbyists are already licking their lips, hoping to score […]

Hearings on Judge John Roberts’ nomination to the Supreme Court are scheduled to begin Tuesday.Good sense might dictate that Washington’s attention would be better focused elsewhere, namely on helping the Mississippi Delta region recover from Hurricane Katrina.But if the show must go on, it should at least be conducted in a serious and thoughtful manner. […]

The federal government had days – years, really – to prepare for Hurricane Katrina. Even so, the response has been deficient.In the nearly four years since Sept. 11, 2001, the Department of Homeland Security was formed and given the task to prevent the next attack and prepare for the next disaster. So far, it’s been […]

It is disheartening to see widespread looting and lawlessness in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. It’s a graphic reminder of the thin line separating civil and animal behavior.It is nothing short of tragic that police officers engaged in saving lives now must be diverted to restoring order. And it is frightening that we have, apparently, […]

Some Kingfield residents have questioned the motives behind Poland Spring Bottling Company’s surprise donation of $10,000 to town government, even as it tries to win state and local approval for a bottling plant.As one resident said, “A bribe is a bribe is a bribe.”Well, not really.The money was given and taken openly. It fits the […]

New Orleans is all but abandoned – except for the stranded, the rescuers and the louses.Biloxi and Gulfport have been devastated. The fate of many smaller towns is still uncertain.Images out of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi recall destruction of biblical scale, something straight out of Genesis. Hurricane Katrina has left the Gulf Coast ravaged. The […]

The political will to solve a problem too often only materializes in the wake of tragedy.That’s why it’s hard to celebrate the recently completed recommendations for cracking down on Maine’s dangerous drivers – they came too late to prevent Tina Turcotte’s death.She was killed when a trucker with an unimaginably poor driving record and a […]

Scott Hewitt is the exception.We always knew it intuitively, but now data analysis conducted by Sun Journal staff writer Kathryn Skelton and published Aug. 28, proves it.Hewitt is a bad driver, a terrible driver, a hazard to everyone on the highways. The truck driver’s license has been suspended 22 times, and he carries 63 convictions. […]

If you want to figure out how walkable the Twin Cities are, then September isn’t the best time for a test.The Androscoggin Transportation Resource Center is holding eight workshops that will send volunteers into Lewiston and Auburn to determine how friendly the cities are to walkers and bicyclists. It’s a wonderful project that has great […]